Today is Our Day
by Exquisiteliltart
Summary: Regina agrees to try the whole 'friend' thing with Emma. They agree to meet on Tuesdays and do fun 'friend' activities, though both of them have to figure out what it means and entails to have a friend. Both are surprised by how important that friendship becomes. (Fluffy for now, but the rating will assuredly go up like a fever.)


"_Alright, I'll need you. Now you know the truth. Sorry for how I treat you. I don't know why I do the things that I do." –'Fragile' by Patty Griffin_

As was Emma's Monday morning tradition she entered and ordered a bear claw and coffee to go. She was groggy from staying up too late watching "The Walking Dead," and her mind was still half on the show so she didn't notice when Regina sidled up next to her and took a seat at the bar.

"Ms. Swan, Can I speak with you for a moment?"

"Morning, Regina. Sure, what's up?"

She hadn't made a strong attempt to win Regina over since their adventure in the woods and subsequent run in with the Snow Queen, but she was hoping that Regina was starting to forgive her.

Regina lowered her voice and placed her elbows on the table before turning to her and speaking softly, "Were you serious about wanting to be friends?"

Emma's face lit up, she smiled brightly and leaned down to speak to Regina, trying to avoid the prying gaze of the other patrons, "Of course I was serious. I thought I made it clear. I want us to be friends."

Regina licked her red lips nervously and turned to look Emma in the eyes, "What does friendship entail exactly? I mean, what did you have in mind?"

The blonde was taken off guard for a moment. She had been so worried about Regina even acknowledging her friendship that she honestly didn't know what to do when she had gotten it. Regina was waiting patiently for a response, and Emma knew she couldn't hesitate too long or Regina might get up and leave.

Things had been slow around town, now that Anna and Elsa had been reunited and Mr. Gold helped them find their way back to Arendelle. When they had vanquished the snow queen, her magical influence evaporated and Marian came out of the ice curse. Regina had seemed almost relieved that Robin and Marian were reunited. She seemed to slowly be working on letting go of the idea that he was her true love. Emma knew it was hard for her, but she also knew she needed a friend now more than ever. And Emma was getting bored of spending her evenings with Hook. She didn't know how to break things off with him so she let the days and weeks pile up. He seemed to enjoy every minute with her, but it was getting annoying. She could only tell him to be patient with her for so long.

Granny slid two to go cups of coffee in front of them with a nod, and Emma laid out a few bills to take care of Regina's too. She smiled when Regina stopped digging in her coin purse and noticed that her coffee had been paid for.

"We could start by having coffee together?" Emma suggested picking up the cup closest to her and smiling while she took a small sip. Regina mirrored her action with her own cup. Almost comically they both made disgusted faces at the taste of the coffee.

"This is sickly sweet!" Regina ran her tongue around her mouth trying to diminish the taste.

"And this is super bitter. Is this yours? Do you drink your coffee black?" Emma asked in disbelief as she slid that cup in front of Regina and took her own.

"I guess it's just how I've gotten used to taking it. There wasn't much for flavorings and spices in the Enchanted Forest. Which is why I had to learn how to cook all over again when we came here," Regina shrugged lightly and picked up her actual cup of coffee, taking a drink of the hot liquid.

Emma looked at the lipstick print that Regina had left on her cup, but thought nothing of taking a drink. They were friends now. They shared things. That was part of friendship she guessed. She was pleased to find that there was plenty of cream and sugar in her coffee concoction.

"How did you learn to cook? I never learned. I never really ate for pleasure and taste, it was just whatever was available," Emma shared, thinking about all the processed and canned food she had consumed over the years. Now when she was lucky enough to have a home cooked meal she was super grateful.

"I read cookbooks, experimented with different ingredients. I have to tell you, it wasn't always just the different taste of food I grew up on. I never had to know how to cook because there was always someone to prepare my meals," Regina admitted, finding she didn't mind sharing these things with Emma.

"How come you didn't have any maids or chefs come over with the curse?"

"I brought over the palace attendants and my guards, but it wasn't-It would have been too hard. I wanted my revenge and I wanted my solitude to enjoy it," Regina looked down, taking a shaky breath. She folded her hands in her lap and looked at Emma who nodded in understanding.

"Does it really seem like a whole different life- back then, compared to here? That's how I feel about my childhood. Like it's gone, but I can't really ever forget it. Everything is so different now," The Sheriff eyed her badge and chuckled like it was a joke that she really didn't understand.

"A lot of time has passed, and I've changed so much. Changed in ways I never thought possible. When Henry came into my life other things didn't seem important anymore," Regina admitted, and Emma reached out and took her hand. Regina looked surprised, but didn't take her hand away. She stared at where their fingers connected on top of the counter and squeezed back softly.

"You have changed, and so have I. Can you imagine us having a conversation like this when I first came to Storybrooke?" Emma thought back to how cruel and heated their discussions and arguments were back then.

"No, I wasn't able to see who you were. I acted out of fear that you would take Henry and take my happiness away. I wish I could have seen past that. It's better for him, having both of us in his life," Regina didn't know where her sudden candidness was coming from, and she felt a tinge of embarrassment. Somehow it was easy to talk to Emma and while she was fearful before that she would be judged, Emma looked so receptive and at ease with her that the admissions just tumbled out.

"We should do something fun," Emma said suddenly. "Being friends doesn't mean we have to just talk about the past. We should make some new memories: happy ones."

"Emma, I really don't know where to start. My life has been so different and the friends that have come in and out of my life- well, I don't have the best track record," Regina took a large swallow from her cup of coffee and watched Emma carefully.

"Neither do I. I can count my friends and the people who really matter to me on one hand," Emma followed suit and took a drink from her own cup. "Maybe we should both think of something we could do together and then we'll spend a day doing both of our ideas. Anything we want."

Regina thought about that, and agreed. She was eager to spend more time with Emma. She felt calm and it would be nice to do something that took her worries away for a while, "Yes, meet me here tomorrow morning, same time, and we can compare notes."

"Deal."

….

Regina returned home feeling preoccupied. She was actually going to let Emma be her friend. It filled her with so many mixed emotions. She didn't want to get too hopeful, but her chest ached with the need to be recognized and understood, and this was an avenue to get that need filled. She could see that now. What should they do for their day of fun and bonding?

She couldn't believe how clueless she was when it came to having something as simple as a friend. What did she like to do for fun? She found she had a lot of free time now without the paperwork and headaches that came with being Mayor and Henry spent all his evenings at Gold's shop. She knew she needed to get out. It was freeing in a way, but also scary, because she had relied so heavily on her past ways as a crutch. She no longer knew how to just be Regina. She hadn't felt this way in so many years and it was like stepping off a cliff.

She decided to google "things to do with friends" and the results she pulled up were quite surprising.

…

Across town, Emma was sitting in the Sheriff's station, her heart feeling warm as she drained the last of her coffee and thought about how she and Regina had actually had a conversation and built some trust in one another. She thought about the next day and the plans they were to make with each other. Her idea was simple: something socially acceptable that involved day drinking.

She texted Regina, pushing aside the thought that she had only just seen her 30 minutes ago, and it might be soon and too eager to be thinking of her, but she sent a message anyway.

"So you have the whole day free tomorrow?"

…

Regina's phone beeped and she saw it was Emma, her heart fluttered just a bit. She typed out a reply, "yes the whole day."

"Great, wear something comfortable. Can't wait to see what ideas you come up with!"

Regina's eyebrows extended when she saw that Emma had ended her text with a little smiley face. Part of her was sickened by the sweetness of it, and part of her felt touched.

"Sounds good" she replied and put her phone away. She made herself stop thinking about Emma, and started thinking about how to plan their day of fun. She was looking forward to it more than she cared to admit.

The day wore on and after two glasses of cider she was able to calm down and sleep. She had picked out a comfortable outfit to wear the next day, and by comfortable she chose slacks and one of her rather plain blouses.

She walked with her hands in her jacket pockets to Granny's with lightness in her step. Finding she had arrived before Emma she took the liberty of ordering them each a coffee. Shortly after, the door chimed and Emma bounded in slightly breathless and walking immediately to Regina.

"Hi."

Regina smiled sincerely and handed Emma her cup, "I told Granny it was for you, so it should have a proper dose of diabetes in it."

"Ha ha. I can't help that I like it sweet. So what's the plan?" Emma was delighted that Regina hadn't lost her snarky attitude even if it was at her expense, though she expected nothing less. She noticed that she had her planner out and copious notes were scrawled on a page marked 'Agenda'. She hoped that Regina's idea of a fun day didn't include a city council meeting.

"Well, that's a surprise. Though with your suggestion of comfortable clothes I assume you have something planned for us to do outdoors as well?" Regina smiled mysteriously, quickly shutting her planner and swatting Emma playfully away from reading her notes.

"Shall we?" Regina stood up and primly brushed imaginary dust off of her outfit.

"Yeah, let me just pay for my coffee."

"I already paid."

Emma looked surprised and blushed despite herself, "Thank you."

…

After a quick argument over who would drive, Regina won out and Emma grabbed her supplies from the bug, wedging a packed cooler and fishing poles into the tiny backseat of the Benz. The poles had to bend a bit to fit and extended all the way to the dashboard.

"We're going fishing?" Regina sounded bemused and slightly confused.

"I guess the surprise factor is ruined, and I see you brought kites to fly?" Emma looked at the bright rainbow colored kites packed neatly with the tails furled in the backseat.

"When Henry was a young boy I used to pick him up from school early at the first sign of spring and we'd go out to the fields. Have you done much kite flying?" Regina's voice softened at the memory and she turned to face Emma as she started the car.

"Can't say that I have ever flown a kite, but it looks like fun. I'm game to give it whirl," Emma's eyes flitted to the side as she took a slurp from her coffee, and thought 'after I've had a few beers.'

"Fishing," Regina said with a bob of her head. It wasn't a question, just a statement. The whole concept of catching a fish for fun evaded her. They weren't starving, it wasn't out of necessity and that was the only reason she could imagine trying to entice a fish to hook itself onto a stick.

"Trust me, it will be fun," Emma said, sensing her trepidation. She really hoped that Regina wouldn't act prissy and be afraid to touch the fish. She thought glibly it would give her a good excuse to show off.

The car pulled up to the side of the bridge and Regina parked it. Taking a moment to fix her hair and check her lipstick as she always did before getting out. Emma tsked her, "There's no one out here to impress."

"On the contrary, I would wager that you picked this fishing expedition for our day with the sole goal of trying to impress me with your hunting prowess," Regina reapplied her lipstick and rubbed her lips together to even it out.

"Pssh…no," Emma shook her head and busied herself by grabbing the poles, hiding her foolish grin from Regina. She hopped out and found a prime spot to hook her legs over the edge of the bridge and look down at the slow moving river. The air was crisp, but warm and the scent of fall leaves enlivened the air.

"Come on, lady. This hook isn't going to bait itself."

The car door slammed and Regina walked up to join her. She sneered cheekily, "Is that what your _boyfriend_ says to entice you to bed?"

…


End file.
